Cisitu Menghijau: Introduce Urban Farming to Childern

By Bangkit Dana Setiawan

Editor Bangkit Dana Setiawan

BANDUNG,itb.ac.id - On Sunday (16/03/14), Department of Green Ganesha Keluarga Mahasiswa ITB by Cisitu Menghijau Program held community-based activities with the theme "Urban Darming". Urban Farming is a new style in farming to populated location with limited green areas. Located in volleyball field, RW 10, Cisitu Lama, childern who are in elementary age are invited to plant the seeds of vegetables by using plastic bottles for the container. Those chidern come from free tutoring group in Bumi Ganesha Dormitory and reading Koran group Ar-Rahim Mosque, Cisitu Lama.

Farming activities was started 8 am. Staff of Green Ganesha Department was preparing 1 L sized bottles to be recycled as pots. They then helped to cut the bottles into two parts. Furthermore, childern plant the vegetable's seeds by themselves. They did it enthusiastically, start from put soil on the pot, plant the seeds, and then put it on the fence of field.

This is second Urban Farming activity, the first one was held on Sangkuriang. The chief of Cisitu Menghijau is M. Yusuf Musabbiq (Oceanography 2011), told that the main goal of this event is to foster a culture of loving plants and eco-friendly mindset as early as possible to childern. "We want to show people that actually planting vegetable'seeds is easy, the medium is easy and the seeds is inexpensive," said Abbiq.

Aisyah (Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering 2013), as a staff of Green Ganesha Department, told that this activity is a program from external division. Cisitu Menghijau has done many activities, such as "Beberes Cisitu" on last December and bottle recycling program.

When children is asked about their feeling joining this activity, the childern replied in unison, "Great!". And then one of them who named Nanda said innocently, "I love play soil, sister!".